Where's Sam Fuller When You Need Him?

Rating: 4/10 (11 February 2013)

This is truly a Hollywood War Movie. With its expensive staging and some impressive aerial shots it looks, at times, quite remarkable. But at other times not so much. Some of the sets look staged and are so over lit and glossy they resemble something from the Theatre or Television. These seem irredeemably self-conscious and corny, as does much of the acting and dialog.
The Military details and the Historical accuracy, or lack thereof, have been discussed by experts and let's leave it for them and concentrate on the Film as a Film, the Movie as a Movie. In short, its entertainment value and not its value as a Documentary account.
As mentioned the long shots are stunning and it shows what you can do with time and money. But this is all undercut by some really shoddy back projections and lackluster troop invasion scenes. Yes, there are lots of soldiers (again, time and money) but they are completely unrealistic and uninspired.
The unending list of name Actors fare even worse with little screen time. What motivation and character development we have are dated platitudes, fake humility and bravado, along with some intrusive unfunny comedy relief. There is not one memorable or engaging performance.
Overall, it is a sprawling epic and cuts a wide swath that only money and time will allow, but it is all done with a heavy hand, a pandering patriotic pathos, and not much verisimilitude. It is a dressed up delivery of imitative imagination in a noble, but elated production.